City of Victorville leaders gathered on a chilly December morning to celebrate the grand opening of its Animal Care and Adoption Center.
Mayor Elizabeth “Liz” Becerra welcomed city leaders at the city’s first-ever, permanent animal shelter facility located at the former Goodwill High School Campus on E Street in Old Town Victorville.
Still a work in progress, the facility will serve Victorville residents with its 19 Animal Service Division staffers at the campus with street sign names like “Bark Ave,” “Bow Wow Blvd” and “Woof Way.”
The animal care center will offer vaccine, microchip, licensing, pet adoption and educational events. It will also care for pets housed at the city’s nearby Wellness Center that serves the homeless community.
In phase one of the facility’s upgrade, the campus will house at least 135 dogs and 40 cats, with more indoor kennels being constructed, City Manager Keith Metzler told the audience during the event on Thursday, Dec. 12.
The animal care center can also accommodate the housing and care of reptiles, with several snakes, including a Mojave Green rattlesnake, on site.
Future upgrades will include two large metal buildings for 200 more kennels, a veterinarian suite for complex medical services, a livestock area and added access to the facility from First Street.
“We also plan to add a forward-facing admin building and rainbow bridge to support residents overcoming the loss of a beloved pet,” said Metzler, who added that he’s proud of the city’s Animal Services Team for bringing phase one online so quickly.
Since Dec. 1, the Animal Service Team has:
During the ribbon-cutting event, Deputy City Manager Scott Webb and Becerra recognized members of the Animal Service Team.
Metzler also credited city staffers for their hard work and dedication in updating the animal center on an extremely challenging schedule.
The campus, north of the BNSF railroad tracks, was originally built in 1926 as Eva Dell Elementary School. Sometime in the 1970s, the site was renamed High Desert High then Goodwill High in 1989.
City officials began seeking a solution for animal care after the decades-old Victor Valley Animal Protective League in Apple Valley ceased operations in 2023.
During that time, the league gave a 30-day termination notice to the city of Victorville for animal sheltering services, along with their decision not to renew the animal services contract.
Metzler explained that constructing a new animal care facility would take too long. That’s when he and Victor Valley Union High School District Superintendent Carl Coles began discussing the idea of the city leasing the old school facility.
“I am grateful to Carl for the tremendous collaboration,” Metzler said. “He and his staff have been there with us to support us the entire way.”
The Victorville Animal Care and Adoption Center is located at 16648 E Street.
Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday. Pet adoption hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.
For more information, call 760-955-5089 or visit victorvilleca.gov.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
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